been imprisoned in another part of the
island. We had some difficulty in amusing ourselves during our stay,
but every day we were picking up health and strength, and at length, on
the 8th, we all five embarked, with two masters of merchantmen who had
lost their vessels, and thirty seamen, on board the cartel, and
commenced our voyage to Jamaica. On the 10th we put into Saint
Germains, another part of Saint Domingo, where we received some more
released prisoners, and on the following day we bid what I hoped would
prove an eternal adieu to the most inhospitable of islands. With the
exception of the houses we had stopped at on our way to Ou Trou, we had
not been received into the abodes of any of the white inhabitants of the
country. Some of the coloured people would willingly have treated us
kindly, but they were kept in awe by the authorities, and thus the only
real kindness we received was from the poor unsophisticated blacks. For
my own part, I have felt ever since deeply grateful to Mammy Gobo and
her ebony-skinned countrymen and countrywomen, and have been most
anxious to do them all the good in my power. With regard to the French
residents, all I can say is that I recognised among them none of the
supposed characteristics of the French nation. Instead of proving
hospitable and polite, I should say that I never saw a greater set of
bears in my life.

Our voyage was short and merry, though one of the subjects which
afforded us most amusement was our own forlorn, half-starved, almost
naked condition. We were all much alike, so we could afford to laugh at
each other. The weather held fine and our voyage was speedy, and on the
ever-to-be-remembered 13th of May we sighted the entrance of Port Royal
harbour, where we dropped anchor in the afternoon. I found that I had
been absent exactly nine months and three days. In spite of my
tatter-demalion appearance and my consciousness that I was much like the
wretched apothecary who supplied the love-lorn Romeo with the fatal
potion, as soon as I got on shore I hastened up to pay my respects to
Sir Peter Parker. He received me, as I knew he would, with the greatest
kindness, and when I apologised for my ragged appearance he laughed and
assured me that he would much rather see an officer in a threadbare
uniform, worn out in active service, than in one shining and bright in
consequence of want of use.

"You'll stay to dinner with me, Mr Hurry," said the admiral. "We m